May 2007 Archives

Hidden Epidemic of Chlamydia Infections in Young Women?
note - you must be registered on medscape to read this. I highly recommend registering if you have an ongoing interest in health issues. They don't sell their contact info or pass it around. I have no financial interest in this site, I just like it.

Did you know that Harry Turtledove wrote juveniles? I just recently discovered them and have made my way through three so far this vacation. In High Places Curious NotionsGunpowder Empire
Very easy reads, minimal objectionable content, I would recommend them. But then, I am very fond of the game of 'what-if'. My only (minor) objection is the way Christianity is treated, but then that is an objection one could have to almost any work of fiction, science or otherwise.

The other book in progress right now is Catholic Matters: Confusion, Controversy, And the Splendor of Truth by Richard John Neuhaus, which I was partly through and brought along to finish. John picked it up and we have been reading it alternately, with each of us trying to garner the attention of the other to listen to sections as we discover them. Very much an excellent book. It is in part a convert story, but even more it is a broad ranging set of reflections on the church today in the USA and the world.

We are on vacation in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. We've had this time share for several years, but were never able to use it while we still lived in NH - but now that we have moved away, we can both take vacation at the same time and travel back. Even though we will have family events that will use all out available vacation time this year, we decided to take the plunge and come here. So far, so good. Yesterday we rode the cog railway to the top of Mt. Washington.

Traveling with a vegetarian teenager can be challenging, but one of the nice things about a time share is that it has a kitchen. Last night we made a very nice spaghetti with vegetables in tomato sauce, accompanied by a ciabatta with pesto. A little high carb, but healthy carbs and good olive oil as well.

I have been very busy lately (I've attended more that 60 births since my move to IL) , and haven't been keeping up with all the items that I wanted to post. And then, after time goes by, I wonder if it is really worth it to comment on matters that have become essentially old news. For example, I had the list of music we did for Holy Week and Easter, and I had a few things that I wanted to say - but now we are past Ascension and headed towards Pentecost. Or the things I wanted to say just after Mother's day, about my daughter's baby shower and the Mass we attended at the Cathedral parish in Memphis TN. Where did those thoughts go?

The best I have been able to do is to make occasional short comments on a very few news items as they cross my path. I miss having the luxury of time to write - that has been a real downside to me of what has otherwise been a good move. If you miss me, you might pray that we are able to find the two more midwives and two more physicians that our practice is seeking to hire.

Part of the problem is the perception that midwives must be 'closely supervised' by surgeons. I prefer to think that there needs to be a collegial relationship, where the midwife calls in the surgeon as a consultant when a pregnancy or labor needs a second opinion, or where surgery is clearly indicated.

An ultrasound test called nuchal translucency increasingly is being used as a method to detect the risk that an infant will be born with Down syndrome, the Wall Street Journal reports. The test involves a blood screening followed by an ultrasound about one week later at 11 to 13 weeks' gestation to determine the size of a fetus and the thickness of its neck. (snip)
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists in January recommended that all pregnant women be offered nuchal translucency. Based on the personalized risk assessment, a woman can then decide whether to undergo a test, such as chorionic villus sampling, or an amniocentesis, both of which detect almost all cases of Down syndrome but have an increased risk of miscarriage, according to the Journal. About one in 800 infants is born with Down syndrome, the Journal reports (Wall Street Journal, 5/8).

We spend several minutes of the first prenatal visit talking with moms (and dads) about all the optional testing available to them. Thanks to ACOG, we must discuss screening to see if the parents carry the genes for CF. Thanks to a few "wrongful life" lawsuits, we must discuss maternal serum screening with all, and amniocentesis with moms over the age of 35. Now, we must also discuss the above cited 'early' Down Syndrome screening.

I work within the system, but there are many days when I just want to become an outlaw, a rebel. I won't. I realize that my rebellious reactions are not necessarily what I am called to! but I do get so very frustrated, I really do.